Dance With The Devil
by A Passing Shinobi
Summary: No one ever goes in...and no one EVER comes out!
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

CHAPTER 1

"I remember working for that Willy Wonka... I started working for him when he only owned a tiny store on a corner. His fantastic ideas would fill that shop to bursting point everyday, and we were all kept busy. Mr. Wonka himself would stay in the backroom, working on creating more delights for the crowd. My personal favourite was the chocolate birds. Put a candy egg on your tongue and it would melt into a tiny, chirping bird on your tongue. Fantastic, it was."

"Grampa, you're getting distracted. Tell me more about Willy Wonka!"

" Yes, yes, of course. Old age does tend to catch up to you, you know..."

"GRAMPA!"

"Fine, fine. Anyways eventually Mr. Wonka's shop just couldn't hold the huge droves of people coming everyday. Between that and the demand for his candy which was becoming increasingly international, Mr. Wonka decided it was time to open his very own factory."

"That's the one down the road, right?"

"Of course it is, you silly boy. Now shush and let me finish my story. So anyways, I remember the day the factory was opened perfectly. The workers all stood with their families outside the gates, and Mr. Wonka stood at the forefront of the crowd. He had become quite... peculiar by then. He was dressed in a large coat, with these huge sunglasses which covered his whole face!"

"Why would he do that?"

"Oh, I don't know Charlie. But Mr. Wonka was always bizarre- never cared much for any kind of human contact, neither shaking hands nor a clap on the back."

"Hmm. well that IS a little strange, Grampa. But you're looking too much into it"

"Perhaps I am, Charlie. Yet after the factory opened, things got even weirder. Mr. Wonka had his favorites. They were often called into his office for a drink, and when Mr. Wonka would walk around his factory to make sure everything was running smoothly, his eyes would often linger on certain people. Then, after a few months of this treatment, these favorites would be called into his office for a drink... but wouldn't come out. Promoted to desk jobs, I'd say. However some of us found it a little strange that we never saw neither hide nor hair of our old coworkers... and after a man was taken in for a desk job, his family would also disappear- move away. One man was so paranoid that he refused to talk to or look at Mr. Wonka. He told everyone that Mr. Wonka had "taken care" of the missing men."

"Did he really, Grampa?"

"I never believed it myself. Mr. Wonka was always kind to me and your grandmother. However, some others were all too willing help this man spread these rumors. As you know, Wonka candies have many rivals in the business world."

"But that's not fair!"

"Life often isn't, Charlie. Yet these rumors spread like wildfire, and Mr. Wonka was soon forced to close his factory to stop the accusations. All of his workers were fired, and Willy Wonka disappeared."

"But his factory is open now!"

"It is. Five years ago, smoke began pouring from the smokestacks once again. All the workers rushed to gate, expecting to be welcomed back with open arms... but the gates never opened. For a day and a night we stood outside the factory. And at night... well that was when things became strange. We saw the strange shapes of tiny people through windows. We had been replaced- but no one knew by whom. One thing is for sure though, Charlie- No one ever goes in the factory anymore... and no one ever comes out."

* * *

The machinery groaned as it began its newest job. Chocolate bars were swept down the conveyor belt into boxes that were to be shipped all over the world, filled with Willy Wonka's famous chocolate. However the machinery whirred to a stop as a shadowy figured approached the belt.

Fingering five glistening, golden sheets of paper, the figure walked alongside the machine, placing the papers at random on different bars. "Yes." came a shadowy voice. "Five tickets for five children. An invitation to the greatest chocolate factory in the world! They will come... They will definitely come. And then..." The man threw back his head and let out a laugh which echoed throughout the factory. As the man walked away, melting into the shadows, the building came back to life, filled with the hum of the machinery once more.


	2. Chapter 2: The First Two Are Found

CHAPTER 2

Charlie walked past the huge metal gates. The gates that housed in dark factory that has been isolated for years. He stopped to watch the smoke rise from the stak and then blend in with the greyish sky. He wondered what the inside looks like, what the new workers looked like. It made no sense to the little 10 year old boy, why Mr. Wonka had replaced all his workers, all the workers who had dedicated all their time to working for him.

When Charile got to school, he couldn't get the thought of going into that factory out of his head, all the thoughts of what could be inside that onderful factory played inside his mind and he found it hard to concentrate.

That night when Charlie got home his mother was reading the newspaper.

"Charile listen to this; After ten years of mystery, Mr. Wonka is inviting five children to tour his factory. At the end of the tour each child will leave the factory with a life time supply of Wonka goodies. The five invitations to his factory are hidden within five Wonka chocolate bars in the form of golden tickets.

"The tickets may be anywhere that Wonka candy bars are sold, and they are the only means of entry into the factory. I wish all of you good luck."

Charlie turned to Grandpa Joe, "you hear that Grandpa?"

"Well I think that man is crazy!" Grandma Georgina interrupts. Grandma Josephine just looks at Charile and coughs. Grandpa George stares in bewilderment.

"See that Wonka is a genius! His golden ticket scheme will raise chocolate bar sales around the world."

"I want to get one of those tickets!" Charlie excliams.

"Remember Charlie, you have the same amount of chance as anyone to get the Golden ticket." Grandma Georgina reminds the little boy.

"Now, now dear! Charile only gets one chocolate bar a year, while most of the winners will be children who can afford endless amounts of bars." Grandpa George intervines.

Over the next few weeks, no one had found a Golden Ticket, not yet. But soon, there was a headline reading; "First Golden Ticket Found!"Charlies mom picks up the paper to read the article.

"The first Golden Ticket, found by a boy by the name of Augustus Gloop. The town had even thrown him a parade.

Mrs. Gloop says that she is so proud of her son and that he was bound to find due to his enormous appetite. "Eating is his hobby. It's better than being a hooligan or playing with toy guns.""

After news of the first Golden Ticket being found everyone was preoccupied with finding the remaining four tickets.

The second ticket is found a day before Charlie's birthday. The one who found the ticket is named Veruca Salt. Her father is the wealthy owner of a peanut shelling factory. Veruca demands a golden ticket of her father, he demands that all of his employees stop shelling peanuts and begin shelling candy bars until someone finds a golden ticket for his daughter. Mr. Salt purchases truckloads of candy bars and his employees unwrap them every day and every night. On the fourth day of the candy bar shelling, one of Mr. Salt's employees finally unwraps a golden ticket.

"That Salt girl must be a very hideous girl..." Grandma Josephine comments.

"It's not fair that she got her father to buy all those bars and to use his money for her like that!"

"Mr. Salt spoils Veruca and that nothing good comes from spoiling a child," Grandpa Joe explains.

"Charlie its bedtime," came his mothers voice, "tomorrow is your birthday and that you will get your own chocolate bar to unwrap."

"Charlie can you unwrap the chocolate bar in front us so we can see?" Grandpa Joe asks.

"Of course Grandpa."


	3. Chapter 3: The Alley Games

CHAPTER 3

Charlie was late. He had had a detention at school (on his birthday, no less!) for

daydreaming in class again. He hurtled through the streets, desperate to get home, to get

his one and only chance at a Golden Ticket. He looked up at the sky and frowned as the

blazing red sun sunk lower and lower to the ground. Just how late had that teacher kept him? If he didn't get home before sunset he would be in big trouble. He spun around a garbage can that had been pushed down by the icy winter wind, and came to an abrupt stop as he got an idea. He could go through the alleyway.

The alleyway was really only one of many alleys that criss-crossed the city. However, this alleyway was special, because it was the ONE alley that Charlie and been specifically told to avoid. Mrs. Bucket had come home one night, pale as snow and panting like she had just run a marathon. She had also been crying. Mr. Bucket had rushed to her side, asking her what had happened. She had taken the alleyway as a shortcut home, and halfway through heard someone behind her. It was too dark to see who it was when she turned around, so she sped up her gait. Only to hear the following footsteps speed up too. She had broken into a run, and as she burst out of the alleyway looked back once more, only to see a flash of silver –_a knife?_ She had absently wondered- and a hand covered in lilac gloves. She'd screamed and ran the rest of way home, not daring to look behind her. Charlie been told he was not allowed within 100 feet of the alley, and if it was found out he had crossed through it……

Charlie bit his lip. It was getting late, and he really needed to be home soon. He peered cautiously down the dark maw of the alley. The sun wasn't even down and the alley looked dark as night! Charlie sighed heavily, and turned away from the alley. As he did so, the cold wind blew by once more, this time carrying a scent of candy and chocolate. Charlie's eyes widened as realization struck home. If he was late, what better way to punish him then to take away his one chance at a golden ticket!?! He took another look at the alley, and after looking around quickly, took the three steps that would lead him inside the alley.

Charlie squinted as his eyes tried to adjust to the dark. His heart thumping loudly, he decided it would not be such a bad idea to run through the entire alleyway. After all, he tried to reason with himself, he wasn't _scared_ there was nothing to be _scared_ of. He just wanted to be home on time for his birthday present. He slowly began to jog. After reaching about the midway point, he felt like laughing at himself for being so freaked out about the alley. There was nothing to be afraid of! He would go home and tell his family there was nothing to be afraid of, he would use the alley as a shortcut every day after school, he would- _**CRASH! **_Charlie's breath caught in his throat. A garbage can had fallen, crashing and clanging all over the place. This really wouldn't have been a problem if it had been Charlie who knocked over the can. However this particular can had been a good 15 feet behind Charlie. He sped his jog up to a run, and that was when he began to hear footsteps behind him. "This is why I listen to my parents!" he thought frantically. Charlie sped up his run to a full out sprint, but he could still hear noise from behind him.

With that, Charlie stumbled and fell to the ground. He squeezed his eyes shut and just knew that this would be the end of poor little Charlie Bucket. He wouldn't get a Golden Ticket, he wouldn't get his chocolate bar, and he would never see his family again. He could just feel the hand reaching out for him. He looked up, and his mouth fell open. He was only a foot away from the end of the alley! But the noises were still coming closer. Visions of knives and lilac gloves reaching out for him filled his head, but he staggered up and out of the alleyway, gasping as the last few rays of the sun hit him. He turned to take one last look at the alley. A cat sped out of the dark, and Charlie almost fell back as he realized that he had been being chased by that cat through the entire alley. He turned around to continue the jog home, mumbling about his stupidity.

Sometime people see only what they want to see. Charlie saw the cat run out of the alley, and instantly became enchanted with the idea that what had stalked him had only been a cat and not something much more menacing. So, filled with the relief spawned from this idea, he hadn't seen the dark figure of a man standing just inside the alleyway. He hadn't seen the faint glimmer of silver in the man's hand. And he hadn't seen the lilac glove furiously gripping the side of the alleyway. He didn't see any of this at all.


End file.
